Chapter 139

After Yueming scolded and frightened the group of young men, he held Ai Ye's hand and went out, leaving the details to them to worry about.

When Lao Ben and Qiangba came out of the conference room, Ai Ye stopped them again and said that Madam Yueming wanted to see them.

Qiangba felt a headache when he heard the words "Mrs. Yueming invites you." He wondered what tricks she was going to pull.

Ai Ye did not lead them to the inner courtyard, but led them to the main gate.

A black car was parked outside. Little Lahu was steering the car, smiling shyly at them. Yueming, sitting in the passenger seat, reached out from the window and patted the door: "Get in."

Qiangba asked doubtfully, "Madam, where are you taking us?"

Yueming looked at them from across Little Lahu's way and said, "Let's take you to get the weapons you need! Are you planning to fight Pujiang with long swords and bows?"

The two of them and Ai Ye sat in the back seat and followed Yue Ming to the Lan residence. Along the way, Qiangba wanted to ask something several times, but was stopped by Lao Ben.

When they arrived at Lan's house, little Lahu stopped the car and knocked on the door.

"Ah...Ah...Daddy...Little..."

The door creaked open a crack, and a head popped out, cursing impatiently, "You dumb idiot! You've been humming for so long and can't even say a word! You might as well just shut up." After cursing, he saw Yueming getting out of the car. Startled, he opened the door, knelt down, and said, "The young lady is here."

Yueming ignored him and walked around him into the house. When Lao Ben and the others came in, little Lahu Aba pushed himself up with his hands. Just as his knees left the ground, Yueming's voice came from not far away: "Keep kneeling."

He sank to his knees again.

Yueming led a few people to Lan Yingde's study and instructed them to move a bookshelf to reveal a wooden door. She took out the key and opened the door. Lao Ben and Qiangba's eyes lit up when they saw the room full of arms.

Lao Ben picked up a light machine gun and asked in surprise, "Mrs. Yueming, are these all for us?"

Yueming held up a booklet and cursed, "You wish! It's a loan. You have to return it to me after use, and compensate me if it breaks. The bullets must be counted, too, and you have to pay for every use." Then he tossed the booklet to Lao Ben, "Take it back and make two copies, sign and seal them, and we each keep one."

Lao Ben was speechless: "You still need money for this? You are Yin Tai, the Prime Minister..."

"Go away, don't try that on me." Yueming interrupted him impatiently, "I'm Prime Minister Yun's wife, so what? This is my dowry, mine! Since ancient times, wars have always been funded by the Ministry of Revenue. Have you ever heard of a dynasty using the dowry of a concubine to fight a war?"

Qiangba whispered to Lao Ben, "Just sign if they ask you to. It's just a matter of transferring money between them anyway."

Lao Ben thought about it and said through gritted teeth, "Okay, I'll sign."

An agreement was reached, and Lao Ben and Qiangba found someone to count and move the ammunition themselves. When she reached the door and saw little Lahu's father still kneeling, she stopped and looked down at him condescendingly: "Just kneel down and think clearly about who is responsible for your current situation. Once you've figured it out, stand up. If you can't, you'll have to kneel like this for the rest of your life!"

She asked Little Lahu to drive the car to Yang Laoliu's house and knocked on the door: "Uncle Liu, is Uncle Liu home?"

It was Yuman who opened the door. She was overjoyed to see Yueming: "Madam! Why are you here?"

"Sixth Aunt, is Sixth Uncle home?"

"Yes, yes. Please come in first." Yuman stepped aside to let Yueming in and called out to the main hall, "Sixth brother, the wife is here."

Yang Laoliu came out to greet her, "Why are you here, Madam? Come in and sit down. Yuman, go boil some water and pour some tea for Madam."

Yueming sat down and said, "Sixth Uncle, please call me by my name as before!"

Yang Laoliu didn't change his words, but just asked, "Is there something Master Lan wants you to tell me?"

"Dad is fine." Yueming shook her head. "I'm here to get you and Aunt Six away from Yunxiang as soon as possible."

Yang Laoliu was about to light a cigarette when he was stunned by the words: "Leaving Yun Xiang, why?"

"You must have heard about what happened in Mengding Prefecture. Pujiang is now planning to take over Yun Xiang. You are not Yun Xiang's family, so there is no need to get involved in this mess. While there is still time, you should quickly pack up and take your aunt away!"

Yang Laoliu said nothing. He lit a cigarette and took a puff before asking, "What about you?"

“I have to stay in Yun-sang.”

Yang Laoliu exhaled a puff of cigarette and said, "If you don't leave, then I won't leave either."

"Sixth Uncle," Yueming advised, "You have to consider Sixth Aunt and your brother."

"Then let your Sixth Aunt go, and I'll stay."

As soon as the words fell, there was a clanging sound of broken porcelain at the door. Before the two could react, Yu Man rushed into the room and banged her head against Yang Laoliu's chest, crying and cursing, "You son of a bitch, you said nice things when you married me, saying that our family would never be separated, but now you're abandoning us mother and son to risk your life. I'm going to be a widow after marrying two men. God, what kind of fate is this for me!"

Yang Laoliu frantically grabbed her hand and said angrily, "What widow? Can you please hope for me? My wife is still here, what nonsense are you talking about?"

Yu Man's hands were held, unable to move. She looked up and spat at him, "Bah! I'm going to be a widow, why should I care about whether I'm a wife or not? I don't care. You must come with me. Let's go to Mengning to find our son."

Yang Laoliu dragged her out, cursing, "Why are you leaving? Master Lan has been so kind to me. If I abandon his only daughter and run away on my own, am I still a human being?"

Yu Man was locked in the bedroom by Yang Lao Liu. She banged on the door and cursed, "You are worthy of Master Lan, but what about me? If you die, how will my child and I survive?"

Yueming listened to Yuman's scolding and said to Yang Laoliu awkwardly, "Sixth Uncle, you really don't have to risk staying here for Dad. Just take Aunt Six with you and go!"

Yang Laoliu picked up the still-smouldering cigarette on the ground and took a puff. "It's not just for Master Lan and you. The Japanese were worse than pigs and dogs. Master Lan, a weak scholar, dared to stay in Tengchong. Why shouldn't I, a man of blood and blood from Zhaotong, dare to stay in Yunxiang and fight them to the death? If I can't kill the Japanese, killing a few Japanese dogs would be satisfying."

"But..." Yueming was about to try to persuade him, but was interrupted by Yang Laoliu, "Don't try to persuade me. I'm definitely not leaving. Since you still call me Sixth Uncle, please help me send your Sixth Aunt to Mengning to find her son."

Knowing that he had made up his mind, Yueming solemnly promised: "Don't worry, I will make sure that Aunt Liu arrives safely in Mianning."

After leaving Yang Laoliu's house, Yueming went to Shengweixuan to persuade Mr. and Mrs. Du. Unexpectedly, the Du couple were unwilling to leave.

Mrs. Du said, "My son Sheng Hong is still fighting in Tengchong. We have to stay here and protect our home! Otherwise, when he comes back, our home will be gone. What will we do?"

Yueming tried to persuade them a few times and even promised to send them a letter as soon as Yunxiang was safe and sound, and they would come back then.

Boss Du smiled and refused, "Of course you have to protect your own home. My wife understands this and won't leave Yun Xiang. Although we are strangers, we have been under Yun Xiang's protection for so many years. It would be inappropriate to abandon him in times of crisis."

Yueming was speechless and bowed deeply to Mr. and Mrs. Du.

It was already dusk when Yueming returned to the Tusi Mansion. As soon as she stepped through the gate, Tonglin, who had been waiting at the door for a long time, said that the old lady wanted to see her. Yueming didn't ask what it was, but asked Aiye to go to her bedroom to get something and bring it to the old lady's yard, and then followed Tonglin.

What happened in the conference room today was something that Lang Ye had already told the old lady about before the New Year, crying and saying that Yueming treated the ancestral foundation and the lives of the people in the city as a joke.

The old lady said lightly: "Leaving Yunxiang City to lunatics like Pujiang, I don't even know whose inheritance you are guarding." She knelt down after being scolded.

Looking at the men kneeling in a group, the old lady recalled the fence-sitting behavior of these people when Yun Kai ascended to the throne. She sneered, "My son is fighting the Japanese in the front. We should be united against the enemy and share the same hatred. But you are making things difficult for his wife. Don't you want to live?"

The young master who said this morning that Yueming had to involve the old lady in giving orders said with a sad face, "Old lady, please understand, we are speaking up for you. Since the master is not here, you are the boss in this mansion. Madam Yueming is too overbearing for not even consulting you on such a big matter."

The old lady listened to these divisive words without even raising an eyelid. "The ruler of the entire Yunxiang is your master Zhao Pianling, and under him is Yin Tai. From the three cities and two villages of Yunxiang to the nine Mengs and eighteen circles, is there anything she can't intervene in or say? Besides, she's going after Pu Jiang to avenge the old man and the eldest uncle. That's out of pure filial piety. If I don't support her and even stir up trouble, then I'd be ignorant."

After scolding those young men away, the old lady asked Tonglin to wait at the gate, and if Yueming came back, he could come directly to her yard.

After dinner, Yueming still didn't show up. She was getting a little anxious and was about to ask another maid to check on her when Tonglin brought Yueming in.

Seeing Yueming's exhausted face, she endured the inevitable questions and sighed, "When did you become as opinionated as the second child? Can you decide this with just a few words?"

Yueming smiled and said, "If I don't break Pujiang's back now, who knows what kind of storms he'll stir up. Mother, don't be so quick to scold me. Pack up the important things first. I'll send you to Mianning tomorrow morning."

The old lady looked at her and said, "What if I don't leave?"

"You have to go. I can't take risks with you. Yun Kai will blame me."

The old lady smiled bitterly: "Yun Kai will blame me for leaving you here alone."

"Mengding's defenses have collapsed. If Pujiang seizes Yunxiang, the Japanese army will soon be on the verge of an attack. I must protect Yunxiang and not let Yunkai be attacked from all sides." Yueming paused and said, "No matter what, I must ensure the safety of you and the two children. As long as you are here, this family will not be broken up."

Ai Ye brought in a box and presented it to Yue Ming. Yue Ming took it and handed it to the old lady. "This is Yun Kai's bank account and seal in Bangkok. If I don't send someone to pick you up in seven days, and Yun Kai doesn't come back, you must go to Bangkok to find my eldest sister. I'll trouble you to persuade my eldest sister-in-law and the other ladies. No matter who else, my eldest sister-in-law and the eighth lady must take the children and leave."

Yueming was about to leave after giving her instructions, but the old lady grabbed her wrist and said with trembling lips, "Can't we go together? Fighting is a man's job. There's no point in you staying."

Yueming gently broke free: "There are many people who decided to stand by Yunxiang because of me. I can't let them down."

After leaving the old lady's yard, Ai Ye supported Yue Ming and said, "Madam, you haven't had dinner yet. Let me order you some food now!"

Yueming waved his hand: "How can I have time to eat? I have to go to Semanli's place."

Hearing Semanli's name, Ai Ye curled his lips and said, "Save your energy. She won't listen to anything you say."

Yueming said gravely, "I'll tie her up and take her with me."

This was Yueming's first time in Semanli's courtyard. She couldn't even count the number of times she'd seen Semanli since she married into the family. Ever since Qingdong fell, Semanli hadn't left the courtyard. She'd become addicted to opium, and she'd spent her days slumped over on the couch.

The servants in the courtyard were so stunned by Yueming's arrival that they forgot to greet him. Yueming didn't need to be informed and walked straight into Semanli's room.

The room was filled with a greasy fragrance. Semanli was half lying on the couch with a triangular pillow as her head rested on it, smoking opium from an ivory pipe by the oil lamp.

The maid who was helping her pick the lantern flowers with a needle was stunned when she saw Yueming, and then she said angrily: "Are all the people outside dead? How dare you let anyone in casually? Do you want to be whipped?"

Semanli was smoking her own opium, ignoring the two people who came in.

Yueming calmly said to the person on the smoking couch, "Semanli, I have something to tell you."

Semanli turned a deaf ear to him, threw away her pipe, and lay on the couch with her limbs spread out, enjoying the softness that penetrated deep into her bones.

Her maid raised her chin and said to Yueming, "Our young lady has nothing to say to you."

Yueming glanced at Ai Ye, and Ai Ye immediately rolled up his sleeves and dragged the maid out.

The maid struggled and called for help, but the servants were all good at reading the situation. How could an orphan like you compare to a proper lady in the mansion? Seeing Ai Ye dragging Se Manli's personal maid out, a group of people quickly hid in a secluded place, pretending not to see.

Seeing Se Manli still slumped on the couch, indifferent to the chaos in the room, Yueming took a deep breath and said slowly, "Something bad is going to happen to Yun Xiang. I will arrange for you and mother to go to a safe place. You pack up and leave tomorrow."

Se Manli finally moved, propped herself up, raised her head slightly and sneered at her: "Why do you arrange things for me?"

"I just want to save your life, nothing else."

"Hahaha." Semanli laughed so hard she was gasping for breath, as if she'd heard a joke. "Save my life? Wouldn't it be more to your liking if I died? Why are you still so hypocritical?"

Before stepping into the yard, Yueming knew that Semanli would not be so easy to convince. She was determined not to be angered no matter how she mocked and ridiculed her.

"I need you to take care of the old lady."

"You can't discuss this with me. I'm an orphan with a broken family. How can I take care of my aunt? You've got the wrong person."

Yueming looked at her calmly and said, "You don't have the ability, but the Liu family does."

Semanli froze: "You, how come..."

"What did you do? How would I know? None of this matters now. What matters is that I need you to escort the old lady to Mian Ning. If Yun Xiang really falls, you will then escort them and find Mr. Liu to take you to Bangkok. If the old lady and the others are safe, Yun Kai will be grateful to you. He will give you a grand wedding to Mr. Liu."

Semanli stared at her coldly: "Is this a threat or an inducement?"

"I'm begging you."

"Is this your attitude when asking for help?"

After a day of running around, Yueming was exhausted. She sat down on the couch on the other side of the smoking table and said, "You must have forgotten how your family died. You're just living like a ghost, not even thinking about how to avenge them? How can you be a good son? When you smoke yourself to death, will you have the nerve to face your parents and brothers?"

"Shut up right there." Se Manli swept the cigarette lamp and teacup off the table with a wave of her arm. Her pale face glared at Yueming fiercely, "If you hadn't stood by and watched, they wouldn't have died so miserably."

Yueming refused to give in. "What do you mean by 'we stood by and watched'? Even if Yun Xiang's army could fly, they wouldn't be able to rescue your family in time. If you have hatred, you should hate the right people. Instead of torturing innocent people with resentment."

"If I don't torture you, who else shall I torture? You are the ones who watched me die without helping me."

The topic had gone too far. Yueming took a deep breath and slowed down his breathing. "I'm sorry, I'm not very good at persuading people. I don't mean to disrespect your deceased relatives by saying these words. I am actually very grateful to you. If you and Gan Ying hadn't come to Yunxiang at that time, those who had rebellious intentions would be afraid to act rashly, and Yunxiang would not be the Yunxiang it is today. Yunkai and I owe you a debt that we will never be able to repay in our lifetime. I only speak righteously now, but when I heard that Nanjing fell and my compatriots were slaughtered, I was sad and angry in my heart, but I was just sad and angry, and did nothing. It was not until my relatives were killed by Japanese planes that I really thought about avenging them."

"Semanli, you still have a long way to go. Quit smoking opium. If you want to live with Liu, then live with him. If you don't like him, then find someone else. You are the only one left in your family. They in the other world must hope that you live a peaceful life."

Se Manli looked at her in shock: "What do you mean? Is Yun Xiang really not safe anymore?"

"I don't know if Yun Xiang can be saved. Who can tell about war? No matter how foolproof the plan is, there will always be accidents."

Se Manli murmured, "Then why don't you come with me? I don't understand, do you love your cousin so much that you're willing to die for him?"

Yueming thought of Du Youjie who was far away in Tengchong. When she left, he said to her so firmly: "Peace and prosperity for the country and the people. I will do it."

She stared at the broken porcelain on the ground and said solemnly, "I love more than just Yunkai. I also love my country and the heroes who sacrificed their lives to save it. Mr. Chen Sanli said, 'We should stand by each other through the storms and never be indifferent to the fate of our country.' If men can sacrifice their lives for their country when it is in trouble, I, a woman, can do it too."

Se Manli stared at her blankly for a long while, then turned her head and said in a low voice, "I promise you, I will protect my aunt."